Saudi Arabia sports minister would welcome Liverpool takeover

Saudi Arabia’s sports minister has commented on the possibility of a Saudi takeover of Liverpool Football Club.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) purchased Newcastle United towards the end of last year and has already spent more than £200m on players since the takeover. PIF, which also has investments in the likes of Disney, Boeing, Citigroup, Pfizer, Uber, Facebook, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Activision Blizzard and Starbucks, is basically a state savings account for the Saudi Arabian government which is funded mainly by global oil sales.

Saudi’s Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal insists that the Saudi government would support private sector purchases of either Liverpool or Manchester United following the news that the owners of both clubs are looking for potential buyers.

Speaking to Dan Roan of the BBC, Prince Abdulaziz said: “From the private sector, I can’t speak on their behalf, but there is a lot of interest and appetite and there’s a lot of passion about football.

“It’s the most-watched league in Saudi and the region and you have a lot of fans of the Premier League.

“We will definitely support it if any private sector comes in [from Sauid], because we know that’s going to reflect positively on sports within the kingdom.

“But if there’s an investor willing to do so and the numbers add up, why not?”

Commenting specifically on the purchase of Newcastle United, the Prince added: “They’ve done an excellent job. They still have a long way to go – they’ve brought the right people on board.

“I’m sure they have targets to win the league and the Champions League and so on because they strive for the best and always bring the best on board, so I think it’s going to be a bright future for Newcastle.”

If you’re a member or a long time follower of KOPTALK, you will know that Dan Roan is the man to listen to when it comes to credible news concerning Liverpool Football Club and any ownership related matters. He is not part of the LFC clique and he’s on another level when compared to the usual hacks that write about the club. We would always advise you to monitor what he is reporting on.

Much, much more on who’s trying to buy Liverpool Football Club can be found within our VIP Members’ community. This includes details of one group that the owners have already held talks with, an approach from Europe and the UAE. Existing members should follow this thread.